When Val told me about her day – the aromas in her kitchen and the exhaustion from cooking – I immediately asked for photos and a description of the meal. THEN, when the photos arrived, I quickly asked if I could post the recipe, her photos, and her process on the blog. Of course, she obliged.
I can’t wait to make this.
Val is a genius in the kitchen. I learned it all from her. She’s my inspiration. She’s my muse. She’s my rhythm and blues 🙂
BUT, not my downfall. She’s exquisite. She’s my BFF.
“It smells SO amazing in here!!! Omg. Of course you can blog it. I
made a few tweaks. My own oregano. Lime on the tortillas. I also used 8 c chicken broth. The last of my frozen tomatoes. More than called for. Jacobsen sea salt.
And so many vegetables!!!”
Thus, she’s just like me. Neither of us can follow a recipe. Recipes are simply for inspiration – we are the boss! 😆
To inspire you:
Sopa de Tortilla
(Adapted from The Spruce Eats and Torito’s)
Sopa de Tortilla
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. oregano
sea salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached and shredded
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 corn tortillas/
vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 avocados, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add all the veggies and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally.
Add the sea salt and pepper. Stir well.
Next, add the tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaf. Stir and cook until well combined.
Add the broth and chicken (Val used a pressure cooker for the chicken).
Reduce heat to a simmer.
After about 5 minutes, add the fresh tomatoes.
Meanwhile, Cut the tortillas into matchstick-size strips. Sauté in hot oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
To serve, place tortilla strips in individual bowls.
Cover with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and ladle in the soup. Top with a slice of avocado and a cilantro sprig.
If you’re serving El Torito’s tortilla soup as a main course, serve warmed corn or flour tortillas as a side, along with slices of Monterey Jack cheese for nibbling. If you feel ambitious, serve chicken flautas on the side.
If you’re serving tortilla soup as a first course, follow with cheese enchiladas with red sauce, chicken enchiladas with green sauce, loaded chicken tacos, refried bean tostadas, chicken fajitas or chiles rellenos.
You can’t have Mexican food without the right cocktail. Serve margaritas, salt or not, and if you feel like upping the volume, make it with gold tequila and top it off with a bit of Grand Mariner. Now there’s a real Mexican cocktail. If it’s hot, think frozen daiquiris. Or serve ice cold bottles of Corona or Dos Equis, if beer is more “your thing.“
For a grand finale, make authentic Mexican sopapillas with cinnamon and honey—a la mode makes them extra delicious!
